New distribution center provides Village Farms with value-added capabilities

by Christina DiMartino | July 22, 2010

In an effort to better serve its customers, Eatontown, NJ-based Village Farms
has opened a new facility in Delaware.

"Our new distribution facility in New Castle, Delaware, opened for business in
June 2010," Helen L. Aquino, marketing manager for Village Farms, told The
Produce News. “This 30,000-square-foot facility, named Village Farms
Wilmington Distribution Center, is conveniently located in northeastern
Delaware. It is in close proximity to Village Farms' South, mid-Atlantic and
New England core markets. Village Farms chose this location to better serve
its customer base in the southern and northern areas of the eastern United
States.”

Village Farms has also enhanced its packaging capabilities to service its
growing value-added business.

Bill Robbins, director of distribution center operations for the company, said
in a July 16 press release, “The Delaware Distribution Center has value-added
packaging capabilities that are state of the art and ready to handle volume.”

Value-added business is a growth sector for Village Farms. Ms. Aquino said
that in response, a number of new items have been added to the company’s
product offerings to meet the demand — two-pound and six-count sweet
bell pepper bags, two-pound tomatoes on-the-vine, three-pound Roma and
three-pound beefsteak tomato clamshells. In addition, Village Farms is now
offering two-pack and three-pack long English cucumbers, and eight-count
mini-cucumbers.

“The new items are available at all of our facilities in the U.S. and in Canada,”
said Ms. Aquino.

The company’s other distribution facilities are located in Vancouver, Seattle
and Dallas. It produces hydroponic greenhouse vegetables in its own
greenhouses and works with grower-partners in Canada, the United States
and Mexico.

Village Farms is proud of its commitment to quality produce, food-safety
standards and sustainable growing practices that use leading-edge
environmental stewardship principles.

“Our 'Hydroperfect’ growing methods produce vegetables 365 days a year
that are healthier for people and the planet,” Ms. Aquino said. “At Village
Farms, we know what is good for the earth is also good for business.”